Few artists have seen Brooklyn undergo as many transformations as Cey Adams. Before the 58 year-old became a Brooklyn Arts Council Board member and the graphic designer behind the covers for some of the most iconic hip-hop albums, he was an emerging artist himself: full of new ideas, a little bit reckless, and determined to change the world for the better. And today — decades after appearing in Style Wars, a 1983 PBS documentary about the young artists making the New York City subway their canvas — he still believes in changing the world.
Cey Adams in his studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
Using an array of mediums — collage, spray paint, and repurposed popular images — Cey’s work, now available in Brooklyn Arts Council’s Mutual Aid Art Sale pays homage to a city where community comes first, and art has a pulse.
His latest effort is so connected to Brooklyn’s fabric that it was painted on our streets. As protests against police brutality burst forth in cities across the world this summer, those actions have involved the paintbrush nearly as often as they have the bullhorn. When his colleague (and Brooklyn Arts Council Advisory Group member), Artistic Director of the Billie Holiday Theatre Dr. Indira Etwaroo, reached out about the opportunity to create a Black Lives Matter mural on Fulton Street in historic Bedford Stuyvesant, Cey leapt at the opportunity to participate. Along the way, he encountered a number of old friends.
“Mayor de Blasio and Borough President Eric Adams had signed off on the project outside the Billie Holiday Theatre,” he explained. “When she asked me if I wanted to be involved, she told me that the lead artist on the mural was, Dawud West. I realized that, twenty some-odd years ago, he worked for me!”
Described as “a sight to behold” by Hyperallergic, the mural spans 565 feet and commemorates over 150 victims of police-based violence.
Black Lives Matter mural on Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
“My design firm was working for Def Jam, and he was a young designer just out of college at the time. When Indira asked if I would come in to lend a hand, I said, “Sure!” I donated a weekend’s worth of time; that was basically all I needed. Everything about the project made me say ‘yes’ immediately.”
When asked about some of his favorite up-and-coming artists in Brooklyn, Cey is quick to mention Sophia Dawson, a visual artist whose oeuvre focuses on family – given and chosen – and the faces – known and unknown – who fight for justice every day.
“She was actually tasked to lead one of the Manhattan Black Lives Matter mural projects by Foley Square and City Hall. She’s another artist who came up under me a few years back,” Cey says. “While we were doing our mural, she came by for some pointers and advice about doing the one in Manhattan. That one is now completed as well. Sophia’s work is so admirable because it is rooted in community; a lot of the images that she paints are of people of color. Mothers, daughters, and sons. She particularly focuses on people that have been impacted by racial violence: a very specific direction to take your heart in! The thing I enjoy most about her work is that she is committed to the human experience. It’s a very specific kind of work to make because you’re trying to get a lot of projects working with community-based arts organizations. I did a lot more of that earlier in my career and it is so great to see someone taking on that responsibility.”
In championing the next generation of artists, Cey is ensuring Brooklyn continues being bold, vocal, and endlessly artistic.
Cey Adams’ artwork is currently available for purchase through Brooklyn Art Council’s Mutual Aid Art Sale. To place a bid, visit our online gallery space. For up-to-the-minute updates on newly added works, register to receive email notifications through the platform.